No-Bake Apricot Goat Cheese Cheesecake Recipe

When the dog days of summer roll around, there's nothing we want to do less than heat up our oven. Luckily, there are many great no-bake dessert options to satisfy your sweet tooth without ever turning the oven dial. From tangy berry puddings to ice cream pie, you can find a recipe to suit any occasion. 

Recipe developer Taylor Murray brings us a cool and creamy no-bake goat cheese cheesecake that's lightly scented with vanilla bean and set on a crunchy graham cracker crust. The cake is topped with a tart, fruity apricot jam, a natural pairing for goat cheese. "I love serving goat cheese and apricots on a cheeseboard when the fruit is in season," says Murray. "So, it only felt right to bring that same combination to this dessert, which I make when I want something cool, creamy, and just a little bit sweet." Follow along as we make this delectable, no-bake treat.

The filling of this recipe is a bit different than that of a standard cheesecake. The bulk is made up of plain cream cheese that's blended with creamy goat cheese. Both are whipped with sugar and a hint of vanilla bean paste and then folded into whipped heavy cream. You can exchange the vanilla bean paste for vanilla extract, but the paste gives the cake some nice flecks of vanilla bean. 

The crust is a simple and traditional graham cracker crust that's blended with brown sugar and melted butter and then frozen until stiff. To incorporate the apricot, we use apricot jam. You can swap this with any kind of fruit jam, either from the store or homemade.

Pulse the crackers, brown sugar, and 1 pinch salt in a food processor.

Drizzle in the butter and blend until the mixture resembles coarse sand.

Press the mixture into a springform pan.

Freeze until firm, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks.

Transfer to a new bowl and set aside.

In the same mixer bowl, beat the cream cheese, goat cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla paste, and remaining 1 pinch salt until light and fluffy.

Fold in the whipped cream.

Pour the cream mixture into the frozen cracker crust.

Cover and refrigerate until set, about 8 hours.

Run a knife or offset spatula around the inside edge of the pan to loosen the cake, and then open the clasp. Use a torch to soften the edges, if needed.

Slice into 8 slices.

Top with the apricot spread, and serve.

While this no-bake goat cheese cheesecake was designed to pair with tart apricot jam, there are so many other things that could work well here. Different fresh and cooked fruit toppings would be a natural pairing for the rich cheesecake — try fresh, ripe, summer berries, citrus supremes, or even sliced tropical fruit. If you can imagine it on a cheeseboard with goat cheese, it would work here.

Beyond fruit, this cheesecake works with different dessert sauces, such as chocolate syrup or salted caramel sauce. A simple topping of whipped cream could do in a pinch, though it won't offer much variation in flavor. If you want to get creative, think outside the box and consider adding more unique items, such as caramel popcorn or edible flowers. You can mix and match any of these toppings to create a unique combination.

A crunchy graham cracker crust is traditional for a cheesecake. These crackers are made with graham flour, which does contain gluten. To make this recipe gluten-free, you can substitute the graham crackers for a gluten-free version, of which there are a few on the market.

If you want to skip the graham cracker altogether, there are a couple gluten-free alternatives. The best choice is probably a nut crust. To make it, start with around 2 cups of your choice nuts (almonds, pecans, and walnuts are all good). Add a few tablespoons of sweetener, such as sugar or honey, and around 4 tablespoons of melted fat, such as butter or coconut oil. Grind them all to a find crumble, then press this mixture into a springform pan and chill. This crust will be the most similar to the original recipe, possessing the same crunch and sweetness.